To Steal
by DPraven
Summary: "You! Stop!" he yelled to the thief who was already running towards the forest. Arthur was faster than the young man, but Merlin had a head start. By the time Arthur had caught up with him he was already a good distance into the forest. The prince drew his sword and pointed it at Merlin's chest. Thief!Merlin AU nonslash but if you got the rose tinted glasses I'm sure you can find i
1. Chapter 1: To Steal

Arthur felt his face pull into a nervous frown as he glanced around the courtyard. They shouldn't be entertaining guests now. He doesn't think his father understands how badly this could turn out for them. Nevertheless, he regained eye contact with the approaching Lady Victoria and forced a smile upon his face.

"Lady Victoria," his father said, reaching out his hand to assist the woman off her horse "We are honored to have you here, while you rest from your journey". Lady Victoria responded to him, but Arthur was no longer paying any attention. His eyes swept over the crowd of people scurrying about the square, attending to their duties. Not that it would matter if Arthur did see who he was looking for; he had never seen the young man before.

There had recently been a series of robberies around the castle. It started out as an emerald necklace going missing from Morgana's chambers, but it quickly escalated. The king himself would be walking to dinner and suddenly notice that his small bag of gold is no longer in his pocket. A guard would report that a dagger they kept on his belt had disappeared sometime during his shift. The thief seemed to enjoy stealing from right under the nose of his chosen victim. This had been going on for about a month now. Curiously, though, the theft increased only among the highest-class citizens of Camelot.

Arthur heard a commotion around a nearby corner. Thankfully, Lady Victoria had already been escorted to her chambers by a servant. As he turned to see what had happened, three guards burst out, eyes scanning the crowd like they were looking for someone they had lost.

"What happened?" Arthur commanded the guard closest to himself, who now looked like he gave up on searching the crowd. The guard turned to look at Arthur.

"Excuse me, my lord" The guard started "but we believe we found the thief." The thief was well known by now, so it was obvious who the guard was talking about.

"Well, where is he?" Arthur stated, glancing at the other guards who were also empty-handed.

"He… managed to evade us my lord. But we now have a description of him. He is a young man. Dark hair, blue eyes and fairly lanky." Arthur bit back an exasperated sigh and let the guards go. After a minute of silently noting to tell his father and Morgana of the new information, Arthur started walking back to the castle.

That is, until he noticed a dark-haired, blue-eyed lanky young man rise from behind a few barrels near where the guards emerged. Arthur's face morphed into one of surprise, eyebrows raised and jaw just slightly lower than it was a minute ago. The young man had a large, lopsided grin on his face, like he was in on some hilarious joke no one else knew about. The young man started walking towards Arthur and casually brushed past him. Arthur turned to look at the young man now behind him and walking away while simultaneously checking his pocket for the bag of silver coins he was planning on gambling with later. The raven-haired young man turned his head toward Arthur and, still with that overly large smile on his face, winked at him. Arthur patted his now empty pocket and stood, dumfounded, for approximately half a second before breaking into a run towards the young man who was headed to the gate.

"You! Stop!" he yelled to the thief, who was already running towards the forest. Arthur was faster than the young man, but he had a head start. By the time Arthur had caught up with him, he was already a good distance into the forest. Arthur tackled the young man and they both fell to the ground. The prince quickly got up, drew his sword and pointed it at the thief's chest.

* * *

"Hello. I'm Merlin." The young man beneath the point of his sword said. No fear was present in his face; just an amused sparkle in his eye and his goofy smile had turned to a smirk. He wasn't pleading or trying to convince Arthur of his innocence. Just "I'm Merlin". That wasn't what Arthur expected, and it definitely threw him off guard.

"Prince Arthur" he responded, regaining his bearing. "You stole my silver"

"Yes. Yes I did. Do you want it back?" Arthur thought he could no longer be surprised by this young man; "It's in my pocket" He said. Arthur ignored Merlin and kept the sword pointed at his heart.

"Do you admit to all the robberies of the past month?" Arthur questioned, a firm look on his face. If this man thought stealing from his castle was funny, then maybe he'd enjoy a month in the dungeon.

"Not all of them, of course. But I'd like to believe the majority was my doing." The goofy smile returned. He seemed to be having fun with this, not many people would laugh at the sharp end of a blade, especially when Arthur was on the other end of it. Arthur had to give him some credit. He admired his bravery, even if it was the bravery of an idiot.

"Then you will return with me to Camelot to await your punishment"

"No, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm having fun out here" Merlin retorted.

"You have committed a crime against Camelot. You will answer for your behavior. Rise" Arthur backed his sword away gently, giving Merlin room to stand. Merlin stood up, eyes glancing down to Arthur's sword and back up at Arthur. He could've sworn he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold, but the handle on his sword turned blazing hot and he had to drop it. He reflexively looked down at his burnt hand and immediately heard Merlin take off running. When Arthur looked up again, Merlin was long gone. He swore. Arthur picked up his newly-cooled sword and replaced it in his belt, already forgetting about the burn in favor of pondering the strange young man he met.

* * *

AN- This is my first story so pointers and critiques would be lovely. Also, a good title suggestion would be nice. PS- I took the idea from another Merlin story on here called "The Thief". Check it out if you have time, I liked it


	2. Chapter 2: Just a Corner of The Picture

Two days after Arthur had chased Merlin into the woods, Arthur was sitting at the table in his chambers. In front of him was the normal extravagant breakfast that his manservant George prepares for him every day. Arthur had a fork in his hand, but the food on his plate was barely touched. He seemed to be staring intently at the blank wall in front of him.

"Is something the matter, my lord?" The servant girl, Guinevere, asked "You seem distracted".

"Hhm? Oh, yes. I'm fine." Arthur responded distantly and set his fork down. Arthur glanced at Morgana's maidservant and a glint of gold caught his eye. His eyes zeroed in on the gold chain around her neck. It was a modest little necklace, but still far above the pay grade of a servant.

"Where on earth did you get that necklace?" Arthur exclaimed, getting up out of his seat. It looked like something Morgana would wear, but Gwen seemed too loyal to Morgana to steal from her. Not to mention, too smart to wear it around the castle.

"Oh, well… someone left it for me" Gwen said, hand unconsciously reaching up to finger the beautiful purple stone piece on the necklace. It was a round amethyst piece no bigger than a candle flame with an intricate golden design on the front. It fit her. It was small and so easily overlooked; but when you actually take the time to look at it, it's more beautiful than a diamond and you find it hard to tear your eyes away. Even the color complements her.

"Left it for you? What do you mean? Who left it?" Arthur questioned, suspicions turned into unabashed curiosity. Gwen suddenly noticed that she was stroking the purple stone and quickly clasped her hands behind her back. She looked to be telling the truth, but that was an expensive gift from an admirer.

"It was sitting with my clothes when I awoke, my lord. There was a note with it, though. It just said 'It fits you' signed Emrys. I'm afraid I don't know him, my lord, though I would like to thank him. He left a few silver coins for my father as well. He was very kind."

"Of course" Arthur said "I'm off to practice my jousting. Goodbye, Guinevere."

"Good luck, my lord." Gwen said as Arthur exited his chambers. Gwen replaced her hand on the stone.

She decided not to mention the dark haired young man she saw leaving her house last night.

* * *

Over the five days since Arthur and Merlin's 'meeting' in the forest, many people had received spontaneous contributions: a dagger left for a young man on his birthday, two gold coins and a silver bracelet for a newly widowed mother, four silver coins were left for a man who was just sacked. Even Gaius found a few silver coins and a constantly replenishing supply of healing herbs. Each had a note with it, "for your loss" or "I hope this helps", all signed "Emrys".

That night, Arthur was strolling around his kingdom, unable to sleep. First, the thief Merlin shows up, then Emrys follows bearing gifts. Arthur had inkling that there was a connection between the two, but neither the bracelet nor Gwen's necklace was reported missing. Also, no one was seen wearing Morgana's missing emerald necklace. It seemed unlikely that the stolen goods were the same as the gifts. The cold night wind blew and brought a chill to Arthur. He crossed his arms in an attempt to contain his body heat and glanced around the empty street and darkened houses. Arthur had been walking for a while, pondering the situation around him, and barely noticed as he passed into the lower town.

If it weren't for the severely low temperatures, Arthur would believe he was dreaming. He was staring at the familiar figure of the young man who had been troubling his thoughts for days now silently exiting the house of a seamstress. Merlin. Arthur had assumed that he never stole from towns-people; preferring to take the money of the castle's inhabitants. Also, Merlin seemed fond of taking the object straight off of the individual, not sneaking into their houses while they slept.

Arthur quietly approached the house, but it didn't seem to matter. Merlin turned and saw him anyway, grin and all. Arthur truly believed that if this man were to frown, his face would crack.

"My lord" Merlin said, and bowed slightly. Arthur scowled at the disrespectful mocking behaviour, though he was unsurprised. "What brings you out of your warm, fluffy bed at this time of night?" Merlin continued in his childish banter. Sometimes, Arthur thought Merlin seemed to mimic a younger brother, bratty and idiotic with a gift for screwing Arthur's world over.

"I'd come to see if you would like to have an extended stay in the castle dungeon." Arthur said with a smirk "Room and board is free. I thought you might appreciate that seeing as you seem to be having monetary issues at the moment."Arthur motioned towards the house Merlin had just left. Arthur wasn't about to let Merlin go free this time. He drew his sword and pointed it at Merlin's chest; quickly dismissing the little cynic in his head that said the sword didn't help him last time. Merlin raised his hands in mock surrender.

"So nice of you to think of me, my lord, but I'm doing quite well on my own, thank you." Merlin said jokingly, and then turns more serious (but only slightly). "I didn't take anything from the house. Check my pockets, they're empty." Merlin said, reaching into all of his pockets to show he was telling the truth. "I don't take from people with little to give."Merlin paused and seemed to be thinking about his next words "Her daughter is wedding soon in another town but she didn't have the money to travel there. She was going to miss her only daughter's wedding" Merlin said earnestly. Arthur didn't miss the past tense in which he referred to the seamstress's poor situation, or the details that he seemed to know about this woman. Merlin's smile had dimmed slightly when he spoke about the woman's seemingly hopeless situation. Arthur wouldn't admit it, but he was a little sad to see it go, like watching the last light die out in a ghost town. As if sensing this, Merlin's smile rebounded to its usual obnoxious size.

Arthur edged between Merlin and the door to the woman's house, keeping his sword at Merlin's chest. Arthur opened the door and glanced in, keeping one eye on Merlin. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he'd know it when he saw it. There! There was a neat small pile of gold coins on the table. Odd, if Merlin was going to steal something, that would have been be it. Also, these people wouldn't leave money lying out in the open, especially someone who was in need of more. Arthur had a strange feeling that he was only seeing the corner of a painting.

Arthur quietly entered the house, forgetting about his captive for the moment. He walked over towards the gold coins on the table, careful not to wake the woman sleeping not too far away. As he neared the coins, he realized that they weren't alone. On the table next to the pile was a note. It read "Safe travels". Under the writing was a signature.

Sudden realization spread across Arthur's face. He quickly turned around, looking out the door to where he had left Merlin.

"Emrys"

Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

AN- So many people! (yes, two favorites excite me. I just learned how to post a second chapter a minute ago). As always, reviews are appreciated, critiques are welcome, and flames are promptly ignored. School is slow at the moment but will be picking up soon, so bear with me. Sorry for any late updates I may have in the future, I'm not known for my work ethic. Anyway, Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 3: The Plan

**Disclaimer: I forgot to do this the last two chapters. I disclaim all things Merlin**

"This thief is becoming a problem, Arthur. If word gets out that we cannot handle a petty crook in our own castle, the people of Camelot will start to doubt our abilities. Word is already getting around, what with so many victims of this man." Arthur was only vaguely listening to his father, Uther. It was midday, the day after he found Merlin leaving the seamstress's house, the day after he let Merlin get away. He replayed all that had happened during his meetings with Merlin, and then he made a list of all that he knew about him. Why would anyone risk his life stealing from people who would gladly chop off his head if he was caught, but not partake in the spoils of his perils? How could someone steal from so many people and never be caught, never even be noticed? No one is that swift, that skilled.

Uther continued, "This criminal needs to be put to justice, and soon. The only pattern I can see is that the thief prefers targeting people of nobility- people inside the palace. He's overconfident, taking straight off the person. He's bound to slip up sometime… " Merlin has escaped him twice already, and it will not happen again. Arthur is the prince of Camelot and the best swordsman in the land, he will one day rule this kingdom. Both times he took his eyes off Merlin, and both times Merlin escaped. He will not make that mistake again.

Both times he caught Merlin were by chance, being in the right place at the right time. There's no telling when or even if he'd ever see Merlin again. He needed Merlin to come to him. Certainly, the man's smart enough not to walk right into a trap… Although, Arthur now knows something no one else does. He knows the other side of the thief. Not only does he know Merlin, he knows Emrys. Arthur ponders how he could use this to his advantage as he finishes the discussion with his father.

* * *

Arthur was walking around the upper quarter of the city, the portion nearest to the citadel, trying to organize his thoughts so he can figure out a way to catch Merlin and bring him to justice. The roads were fairly busy, people rushing about, running errands. Arthur often took walks in his city when he needed to clear his head; it was good to forget his duties and future as king sometimes and just stroll through the streets, like everyone else. To his left was a young couple leaning towards each other whispering and smiling, in their own little world. Arthur smiled when he saw them. In front of him were three boys discussing something quietly with mischievous smiles, eyes glancing around, making sure no one could overhear them. One of the boys had dark hair and the largest smile, reminding Arthur of Merlin and what he had set out to do.

"Oh, hello Arthur" said an elderly yet very distinctive voice behind him. Arthur turned around to face the man that interrupted his thinking.

"Hello Gaius. Are you heading out to gather herbs?" Arthur said, eyeing the basket in his hands "I could help if you like, I was just taking a stroll". There was no practice set for today and sword practice with his servant, George, is more annoying than helpful (he always collapses after the first blow) so gathering herbs might be the best way to ward away boredom. And let him think.

"Oh, no. I never really have to collect herbs anymore," Gaius said, then seemed to realize his words "I was just going to check on Mrs. Mosley. She injured her foot in an accident and I need to check how she was healing." Gaius quickly continued, seemingly wanting to change the topic.

_I never really have to collect herbs anymore. _Of course! Gaius doesn't have to collect herbs because Merlin periodically replenishes them. That's how he can get Merlin. If he hides and waits near Gaius's chambers at night, he will be able to catch Merlin when he comes with Gaius's herbs. A large smile grew on Arthur's face as he thought of finally catching Merlin.

"Thank you, Gaius. You've been a big help" Arthur said with a smile as he turned to swagger back to the castle, away from the confused Gaius, planning his stakeout.

* * *

Arthur had decided not to inform his father about his plan to capture Merlin. He didn't want to explain to Uther about Emrys and his father would send guards to wait for Merlin, which he may see. At least, that's what Arthur told himself. He would never admit to letting pride cloud his judgment. Because it doesn't, of course.

Arthur was hiding in the empty room directly across from Gaius's chambers. He entered the room at dusk. At 10pm, when the halls are mostly empty except for a few scattered guards and the occasional anxious citizen, Arthur positioned himself with his ear against the door listening for Merlin's light footsteps. At 10:30 Arthur sat, back against the door, going over his plan and reviewing all things Merlin. By 11:30 Arthur was lying in the vacated guest bed going over his plans for the next week, then month, then year, repeat. At 12:15 Arthur was blinking frequently and slowly, trying to stay awake but really wanting to fall asleep. At 12:16 Arthur heard footsteps.

It took Arthur a second to remember why he wasn't in his own bed in his nightclothes and why hearing footsteps seemed so important that it shook him from his dazed state, but when he did his eyes grew wide and he was totally alert.

The footsteps were growing slightly louder as the person grew closer. The footsteps were an odd mix of light and heavy, careful and clumsy. If Arthur didn't know better, he'd say they were the footsteps of two different men, stepping in tandem. They stopped when they seemed to be right in front of the door. Arthur got up from the bed in favor of standing right by his door, hand or the doorknob. He heard the turning of a doorknob and the creaking of a door opening. Arthur slowly turned his own doorknob and opened the door just a crack. Just enough so that he could see who was entering Gaius's chambers.

There! Dark hair, large ears, pale skin, unbelievable thinness—definitely Merlin. Arthur grabbed his sword and threw open the door. Merlin, startled by the sound of Arthur's door slamming against the wall, reflexively turned to face Arthur. Merlin almost went cross-eyed, trying to stare at Arthur's sword pointed right between his eyes, inches from his face.

"GUARDS!" Arthur shouted, sending a flurry of sounds coming from either direction down the stone hallway. Merlin was starting to look genuinely sad. Not worried or scared, but sad. The triumphant grin on Arthur's face faltered. Soon, guards were on either side of Merlin, grabbing on to his arms.

"Take this thief to the dungeon" Arthur muttered, almost surprised at how softly he spoke. Merlin looked at him. He almost looked… betrayed. Arthur felt a weight settle in his stomach and dropped his eyes to the floor. It didn't matter though, he could still feel Merlin's eyes burning a hole in his skull even as Merlin was being pulled away, and Arthur could still picture those eyes. Those eyes usually so full of mischief and delight now heavy with sadness and disbelief.

Arthur felt like he was hunting a monster, but he accidentally killed a mockingbird.

* * *

**A/N I'm so proud of my little allusion. Anyway,** **does the story seem to be moving too fast? I feel like the story should be longer than this, but it's kinda hard to expound and detail (basically BS some things). Lemme know, thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4: Visiting Hours

The dungeon was not only for those who commit the more heinous crimes, its primary use was to house those who may be able to escape the cells. It was for the latter reason that the dungeon is where Merlin is currently housed. To Arthur, Merlin seemed to harbor an unseen power. Not magic, per say, the thought of Merlin being something as terrible as a sorcerer would never enter Arthur's mind. Merlin did seem to be more than meets the eye, though. Merlin's strange abilities, escaping the prince for example, occupied Arthur's thoughts for quite a while.

People have been avoiding Arthur the entire day. The morning after Merlin was captured, anyone who saw Arthur would say he was just distracted. By dinner, Arthur was thought of as "just in a bad mood". After it was decided that Arthur's mood had carried on to the next day, servants only approached him when necessary and even then, very carefully. Merlin had been in the palace dungeon for two nights (including the night he was captured) and Arthur could not get him out of his head. Merlin taunting him like an old friend, Merlin escaping him like he was in the lead in a game, and finally, Merlin staring at him, heartbroken, like Arthur had betrayed him.

The latter had been weighing on him since. The two nights passed were sleepless, and they days were distant. Arthur was not overly-sensitive, but he does have morals. Arthur decided that he at least owes Merlin a visit before his fate was decided, to understand why Merlin acted as he did if for nothing else. If not, Arthur would not be able to face him this evening while his father coldly passed judgment for Merlin's transgressions. Decided, Arthur head down to the dungeon where the reason for his ever-changing disposition is currently awaiting his trial.

* * *

"I'm here to see the prisoner," Arthur told the guards stationed in front of the dungeon "stand outside, he will do no harm to me." Arthur commanded. The guards' eyebrows reflexively rose dubiously at the prince's words. Why wouldn't a criminal want to harm the prince that would execute him? The guards finally nodded in submission, knowing that it was not their place to question Prince Arthur, said their "yes, my lord"s and left. Arthur secretly hoped that he was doing the right thing, sending the guards away, and that Merlin really wouldn't attack him. Arthur wasn't sure how much his actions affected Merlin, Merlin could loathe him. Nevertheless, the guards couldn't be there when he talked to Merlin though, he needed privacy.

Arthur sucked in a deep breath, raised his head, rolled his shoulders back, and started walking in the direction of the dungeon with the confidence of a prince. When he arrived at the door, he curiously peeked in the small barred window to check on his prisoner. What Arthur saw wiped all traces of pride from his mind. Merlin was sitting on the hay covered floor in the far corner of the dungeon, shackled arms loosely hugging his legs to his chest. There were dark red marks on his wrists where the shackles lay. Somehow, his usual slight frame coupled with this environment made Merlin look emaciated. He was intently staring at the wall, seemingly deep in thought. Arthur privately thought that his face looked bare and sullen without the lopsided grin and the sparkle in his eyes that Arthur saw the first two times he had captured Merlin. Unable to wait any longer, Arthur fished the key to the dungeon off his key ring and unlocked the door, pushing it open and entering the dungeon.

In the period between Arthur glancing through the window and when he peered in through the door, Merlin's head had snapped towards his intruder. Merlin was now staring at Arthur with that same unwavering gaze, like he was reading Arthur's thoughts. Arthur briefly wondered what Merlin would think if he _could_ see inside Arthur's mind, then dismissed the thought immediately. Now was not the time.

Arthur walked bravely towards the chained individual in the corner and then, on a whim, sat down on the floor right in front of him. Arthur had his right leg lying flat on the stone floor, foot extending beneath his left leg and reappearing just barely beyond his sharp left hip. His left leg was flexed similarly to how Merlin's was, propped in front of him on the floor, and his arms were draped over his left knee. Merlin mirrored his pose, but Arthur could not tell if this act was conscious or not. Merlin seemed to be forgiving him by just this act alone; he had even smiled a bit. Not his usual oversized grin, but a soft, accepting smile used only between friends. For not the first time, Arthur wondered if Merlin was older than he looked, wiser.

"I figured you would come to visit," Merlin started "You could never have just had me executed without a second thought. It's not the kind of person you are." Arthur didn't seem to have anything to say to that, so Merlin just continued "Someone once told me that we are two sides of the same coin… me being the brighter half, obviously" Merlin joked, and was rewarded with a snort from Arthur and a small smile.

"And who told you that?" Arthur questioned. Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was remembering, almost mourning, before refocusing on Arthur.

"A very wise old friend," Merlin smiled slightly and seemed to contemplate something for a second, and then added "His time had come to an end a while ago, just as another had arrived to take his place". Merlin smiled, thinking of the newest addition to his home. "Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. You feed your prisoners well" Merlin said, trying for another joke but bringing up being a prisoner only served to dim Arthur's mood.

"I'm glad to see you have been treated well," Arthur paused, trying to sift through all the questions forming in his head. "What is 'Emrys'?" Arthur blurted out, unable to take the awkward silence forming.

Merlin's smile became brighter. "Just something people call me now and again. I suppose you could call it a nickname. Merlin is my given name." Merlin answered.

Arthur pondered that for a while, and suddenly remembered that his father had requested his presence.

"You should go. Your father is probably wondering where you are." Merlin suggested, as if sensing Arthur's shift in attention.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose I should". Arthur stood up, turned around, and walked to the dungeon door. "I'll make sure you aren't executed" Arthur promised without turning back around.

"Don't worry Arthur, I'll be fine" Merlin said matter-of-factly. Arthur turned towards Merlin and raised his eyebrows, unconsciously mimicking Gaius (which Merlin found hilarious). Arthur rolled his eyes at the slightly arrogant response and reached for the key to the dungeon, only to find that it wasn't on the key ring.

"Heads up" Merlin called, and tossed the key to the dungeon at Arthur, who caught it one-handed. Arthur smiled and barely managed to suppress an "amazing" as the turned to the door and exited the dungeon.

* * *

Hours later, as the sun was setting over the peaceful kingdom and turning the sky a lovely shade of orange-pink, Arthur was returning to the castle after an impromptu training exercise. George was made to hold a small ring above his head in the middle of the jousting arena while Arthur ran it though on his horse with a lance. Arthur ran his lance through the ring almost every time he tried. He had been in a very good mood after meeting his father. Arthur had managed to make sure Uther was lenient in the assigning of Merlin's punishment. Merlin was still occupying his thoughts, but Arthur wasn't overrun by the thoughts as he was earlier. The questions just played lightly on his mind. _Who _is _Merlin? How is he so talented? _And _why would he choose to become friendly with Arthur?_

Arthur was still pondering these things as he heard the warning bell go off.

* * *

**A/N** **Another chapter done. I'm going to take creative rights and start changing around things that happen in the TV show. For instance, Some things are going to happen while Uther is still king even though he wasn't when they happened in the TV show and I'm going to completely omit some plot developements as well (No Mordred, no evil Morgana, etc.). Can you guess who Merlin's friend is, and who replaced him? and thanks for the feedback.**

**2nd A/N I reedited this chapter because I found that I accidently made it seem like Merlin was in jail for being a sorcerer. He's not, he's in jail for being a thief. I also found Arthur/Merlin's jail conversation lacking, and I added more to it. Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5: Choosing sides

Arthur could be called a lot of things; prideful, arrogant, egotistical, but one thing you could never say about Arthur is that he doesn't care about his people. The first thought that went through Arthur's head when he heard the bell was _my people are in danger! _The next one was far more rational; he needed to find someone who knew what had happened. Arthur took off running down the hall towards where his best, and closest, hope of getting information would be: the prison guards. Before he arrived, he noticed three other guards running down the hall to his left, towards him.

"Stop! Explain the reason behind the warning bell" Arthur commanded the guards. They immediately stopped in their tracks and turned to the prince, at attention.

"Your highness, one of the prisoners has escaped. The prisoner in the dungeon." the guard in between the other two stated. He was slightly taller and stood tall and confidently. He was the oldest of the three guards; age showing in his brown eyes but with no visible gray speckling his similar colored hair. Arthur remembered the man from a trial not so long ago. Will, the man's name was. Will Leeth.

"Do you know of his location?" Arthur asked calmly, though he was panicking on the inside. Merlin was the only prisoner in the dungeon, and Arthur knew that the order for escapees was to kill on sight. They may not be friends, exactly, but Arthur wouldn't want him dead. The older guard nodded.

"He hasn't been gone long. The guards stationed at the dungeon were following suspicious activity down the hall when he escaped. They had only been gone for a second before they heard a crash and came back to find the dungeon door open. He couldn't have gone far on foot with the whole castle on alert"

"Then we're wasting time chatting. We must search in the area surrounding the dungeons." Arthur said to the two other guards, who seemed to be itching to keep pursuing the escapee. The two younger guards immediately turned and jogged in the direction they had been going before Arthur had stopped them. Arthur followed nervously.

_Merlin is a thief. He is a criminal, a lawbreaker, a delinquent. He is _thebad guy. Arthur thinks as he blindly follows the guards. _He steals things from hardworking people, affluent or not, and he continuously escapes me, he _taunts_ me, and no he's broken out of the dungeons just for the thrill!.. Except… it's not just for the thrill_. Arthur recalls Gwen's blushing, smiling face when Arthur asked about her necklace. Arthur remembers the grieving widow and the woman who can now see her daughter's wedding. Arthur has always been taught not to think from the criminal's point of view. A criminal is a criminal, and a criminal needs to be punished. "Merlin _is_ the bad guy…" Arthur mentally repeats to himself over and over, like a mantra, though he believes it less and less each time.

Arthur was so deep in thought that he almost ran over the guard in front of him.

"We believe him to be around here, my lord. There are about five other guards looking for him also." The one in front of Arthur whispered. The shorter guard had a crooked nose, like he had been in a tavern fight, and a smattering of hair about his chin. He was obviously younger, he seemed very uneasy speaking to Arthur. There really was no reason for him to whisper, they had made enough noise on their way up.

"You three take the hallways to the left and right. I'll see if I can find him down the main hall." Arthur whispered back, clearly and confidently, leaving no room for argument. "Yell if you see him."

Splitting up would be useless, with all the other guards around. If they had stayed together, there'd be less chance Merlin could slip by them unnoticed. Arthur knew this, but for some reason he didn't want to be with anyone while looking for Merlin.

The guards took off silently down their respective hallways and Arthur prepared himself for his own search mission. Arthur closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and took one step. And then he took another. Soon Arthur began walking at a normal pace and reopened his eyes, automatically scanning the area around him.

There was probably no need for Arthur to even about what to do when-_if _he catches Merlin. Arthur has seen Merlin in action. Merlin was probably out of the building long before Arthur got here. _Merlin could make a field mouse seem like a tournament crowd watching two of the best fighters face off_. These thoughts put Arthur's mind at rest, even making him smile a little, so he kept on. _Merlin could've walked right in front of a group of guards and started singing "Tom Tom the piper's son" and they'd look right through him. Merlin could creep past a-_

CRASH!

Would this be Sod's law, or Murphy's?

A familiar pale-as-the-moon, stick-thin body came crashing onto the floor about three feet in front of Arthur from around a corner. Along with the body came three bags of silver and a candle stick (which was probably what _actually_ made the crashing sound) scattered in front of the male's outstretched arms.

Merlin was groaning in pain on the floor as he tried to get back on his feet, making no effort to be quiet or careful and gathering the goods from the floor. He seemed to have sensed Arthur, but he didn't think Arthur a threat. Arthur made no move to help him, hand instinctively gripping the handle of his sword, too in shock to think anything out.

"Arthur?" Merlin said, now fully upright, and looked into Arthur's eyes. Merlin visibly paled even farther once he really saw Arthur "Arthur?" Merlin repeated weakly, nervous at what he had seen in Arthur.

_Only chance. My only chance. I can get him_. Arthur didn't know what to do. He had his father's voice and his own conscience battling in his head. Kill Merlin? Help him? Run away and pretend he never saw him? Call the guards? Call the guards. Call the-

"GUARDS!" Arthur yelled at the top of his voice, setting off an avalanche of running feet growing louder as they got closer. Arthur's mind automatically brought him back to the first time Arthur had called the guards on Merlin. Was it really only a few days ago? Subsequentially, Arthur also remembered how he felt the following days. He had betrayed Merlin. He _is betraying_ Merlin, right now. There had to be some way to fix this, to make it right. The footsteps were only seconds away.

* * *

GUARD POV

Michael Harps had been searching the halls near the dungeon since the prisoner's cell had been found empty. Every sound of descending footsteps, every whispered word he had heard during that time all belonged to other guards. Michael was starting to lose hope. Not that he was all that intent on finding the escapee anyway, and he had only been looking for a few minutes. It would just be nice to get some credit once in a while.

Michael was barely looking anymore. His eyes were starting to droop, aware of the late hour. It didn't help that he was just hitting the crash after the adrenalin rush of an escaped prisoner. The criminal could've walked right in front of him and he wouldn't notice. He didn't even glance up at the black haired boy that had bumped into his side just a moment ago. He won't notice that the silver won in the earlier poker game is missing from his pocket until the next morning.

Michael's footsteps were slowing and his eyes flickered closed for a moment until…

"GUARDS!"

Michael's eyes snapped open and his veins started rushing with adrenalin for the second time that night. That was Prince Arthur's voice. Had Michael been fully awake at the time, he would have noticed the panicky undertones in the cry.

He immediately turned down a hallway, sprinting towards the noise.

Along the way, Michael had noticed other guards on his same path to the prince. They would all get there at about the same time. Not because they were equal distances away, but because no one wanted to be first or last. There was safety in numbers.

The guards were all too busy to take notice of a door slamming. When they turned the last corner, they saw their prince standing still in the middle of the hallway.

"What happened, Sire?" the guard in the front of the group asked the slightly nervous looking prince.

"He ran that way" said the anxious prince, as he pointed down an empty hallway. No one took notice of Arthur's odd behavior, too caught up in the thrill of the chase. They all ran down the mentioned hallway, trying to catch the escaped prisoner.

Twenty minutes later, they gave up the search. They never found Merlin.

* * *

**A/N Sorry for taking so long, completely my fault. I hope the slightly longer chapter makes up for it. Now to orders of business**

**1. Anyone want to beta? I need someone to make sure my story is congruent with Merlin (ex. I had to look up where Guias lived)**

**2. I found an error on CH4, no one knows of Merlin's powers: he was imprisoned for thievery alone. I fixed it.**

**3. Howdo you like the POV change? I'm working up to Merlin's POV**

**4. Do you want Mordred included? He would be a young druid, and not evil with a less imporrtant role, or should I just keep him out?**

**Thanks! I'll try to write over the weekend**


	6. Chapter 6: Hanging Fire

Arthur was hunting.

Well… Arthur was walking in the woods with a crossbow. Mostly he was thinking about what had transpired the night before last. The night Merlin had escaped.

_Once the footsteps of the receding guards no longer sounded down the bare hallway, Arthur heard a voice on the other side of the door directly behind him._

_"Are they gone?" the voice whispered "Can I come out?"_

_Arthur paused before he responded "…Yeah, Merlin. They're gone."_

_The door behind Arthur cracked open and an alabaster face with a black mop of hair on top peeked out, checking down both sides of the hallway before turning to look at Arthur. Arthur's back was to him, but Merlin could tell Arthur wasn't angry or regretting helping him so he stepped out from behind the door to stand next to Arthur._

_Arthur had a small smile on his face. He knew he made the right decision. In the end, it was his mother's voice, often acting as his conscience, which won over, telling him to protect his new friend. Yeah, his friend. Seconds before the guards had found Arthur, he had pushed Merlin, who was frozen in surprise and possibly a little bit of fear, into the door behind him which he now knows was an old, dark, and practically abandoned servant's quarters._

_"Are you alright?" Arthur asked the escapee "I heard you fall." There had been a great clamor when Arthur had closed the door, immediately after shoving Merlin inside. Arthur _had_ pushed him a bit hard._

_"Yep, I'm fine. I'm used to it" Merlin replied, subconsciously wiping off imaginary dirt from falling to the floor, jostling the bag of silver in his pocket and earning Arthur's attention. "So… you're letting me leave? Even after stealing from your people, escaping from prison, almost getting you in trouble, and making you look like an idiot?" Merlin said, smiling at the last one._

_"Don't make me regret this" Arthur replied sternly, yet he was struggling to keep the corners of his mouth turned down._

Arthur smiled when he remembered that.

This had started out as a hunting trip. Arthur had requested his father allow a lone hunt, to clear his head. Arthur didn't want anyone, not even his servant George, to accompany him into the forest; not that Arthur really took George anywhere that he wasn't a necessity. For some reason, George had always irked him. Too much of a bootlicker, he supposes, and too… too _perfect_ at his job. Anyway, having George around would only make thinking harder.

As Arthur was pondering this, he heard a noise to his left. Something huge was crashing through the forest. Arthur loaded his crossbow and stood at ready, planning on returning with the boar - or whatever it was – as a prize. Arthur was a good hunter; he could bring down large prey by himself. All he needed to do was get in a few well –placed shots. Arthur stood still, waiting for the animal to emerge. It was getting dark and the forest was thick so Arthur couldn't even see the creature he was waiting for.

About thirty seconds of silence later, Arthur started thinking that maybe his mind was playing tricks on him and he never heard anything in the first place. Just as Arthur was starting to relax his tense stance and he stopped white-knuckling the crossbow's grip, the enormous creature came crashing out of the woods and straight towards Arthur.

The creature was like nothing Arthur had seen before. Its nine heads connected to the body by thick, serpent-like necks that could reach double the height of any man. Its appearance was of nothing Arthur had seen before and assured Arthur that this creature was not of the natural world. The creature had large fanged teeth and reptilian heads that looked like they were for eating large dogs or possibly horses.

Or men.

Arthur released his lone arrow in a vain attempt to at least hinder the monster. The perfectly aimed arrow sliced through the air directly towards where Arthur hoped was the creature's heart.

Arthur's slight hope of disabling or even delaying the creature for long enough to escape was crushed as the arrow hit the outer layer of skin – or more accurately, scales – and merely fell away.

Sadly, despite the lack of damage done to the creature, it did take notice of the unsuccessful attack on itself and it _did_ not look entirely pleased at its attacker. All nine sets of eyes focused on Arthur, almost glaring, and the head in the middle of the nine opened its mouth.

Arthur knows his limits. He knows when he can take on an opponent, and when he should cut and run. Admittedly, Arthur rarely had cause to use the second option, so he became fairly stubborn when it came to fighting and he never really backed down. Now was different, though. Arthur wasn't sword fighting another man. He wasn't even really fighting the beast. He was mostly just pressing his back up against the large tree he had dove behind to escape the vicious flames surging from the open mouth of the middle head of the dragon-like creature.

The heat of the flames surrounded him, suffocated him. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, so as not to be blinded by the flames rushing by on either side of him.

Arthur didn't know how long he had waited there, teeth clenched and eyes tightly shut, but when he had sensed the sudden absence of the fire on either side of him, Arthur slowly opened his eyes, half expecting to see the creature directly in front of him. When Arthur's eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings, the scene around him nearly overtook him. Flames were spreading over the ground, reaching up the trees, disintegrating everything they touched.

The forest was on fire

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry. This last weekend I went camping and I couldn't use my laptop for two days, my teachers assigned an insane amount of hw, I had science fair (yeah, they still do that in high school), and an essay due today. How long has it been, two weeks? And this chapter isn't even as long as the others. Really sorry.**

**I love the poem "Hanging Fire". Read it, and try to catch where in the chapter relates to it. The first person who sends it in, I'll use you as a character or maybe I'll write in a word/phrase/name (within reason, I won't write in "walk with swag") of your choice.**

**Anyways, No Merlin here, just a flashback. Please review, guys. I want to know how people like the story and a "number of favorites" isn't as fun as a review. See ya.**


	7. Chapter 7: Supprise helpers

**A/N Since It has been WAY too long since my last update, here's a "what's happened so far"**

**1. Arthur met Merlin the thief**

**2. Arthur discovered the mysterious robin-hoodish Emrys and Merlin are one in the same**

**3. Arthur jailed Merlin**

**4. Arthur helped Merlin escape**

**5. Arthur finds a 9-headed dragon-like creature who spews fire**

**6. Said creature spewed fire :)**

**All right folks, on with the show!**

* * *

The forest was on fire.

Arthur's mouth hung agape for only a few seconds before the huge billows of smoke he was breathing in caused Arthur to double over and cough hard, hands on his knees and head hung below his shoulders. The danger of Arthur's current predicament caught up with him and the prince tried to regain his composure. Arthur stood up straight, smoke stinging his eyes and only taking shallow breaths through his nose, and bolted into the forest away from the creature.

Arthur wasn't sure if he was running towards or away from his castle, but he knew that he needed to get away from the creature. Arthur could finish it off another time– when he had the proper equipment.

The thought suddenly occurred to Arthur that the monster could be following him. Arthur could be leading destruction back to his kingdom. But no, Arthur quickly glanced behind him to discover that the creature decided that pursuing its attacker wasn't worth the trouble. Arthur's pride stung a little at that thought, especially coupled with the fact that Arthur was currently running away from the creature.

Arthur shook the childish thoughts from his head. He was doing this to protect Camelot, not his pride.

Arthur stumbled over rocks and ducked under branches, sure that he would have a few good scrapes and bruises after he got back. He had to pick himself off the ground many times throughout the retreat.

After getting a good distance away, Arthur started to slow, his lungs still burning from the smoke and his stomach twisting from hunger. He had skipped his midday meal. Arthur's mind was far to occupied to think of food at the time, and he had had a large breakfast.

Checking behind himself again to search for the absent creature, Arthur stopped and sat down, leaning against a tree to regain his breath, dropping his crossbow to the ground beside his. He couldn't even see the smoke from the fire that hopefully was dying down in the lush forest. He could feel the rough bark scraping against the back of his head. He was breathing hard, almost gasping for air.

What was that creature? Arthur had never seen anything like it before. It looked similar to a dragon, but the differences were too large to say that they might be related. Nine heads, being the primary difference, and also the creature didn't _feel _like a dragon. It didn't give off the aura of power that Arthur somehow knew dragons had. Shaking his head, as if to knock the strange thoughts out of his head, Arthur tried to think logically. Gaius would know what it was; he was good with these sorts of strange occurrences.

Arthur craned his neck back in an attempt to regain his bearings. The area of the forest he was in seemed to be much thinner than where he had spotted the creature. He was no longer surrounded by thick roots and low-hanging vines. He was nearing Camelot, and the creature was nowhere to be seen.

Arthur's heart starting slowing to a normal beat and he braced his hands against the tree behind him to push himself to his feet. As he started to stand, a sharp pain shot up his left leg from his ankle, making him fall back against the tree with a soft shriek he would later deny. He gently removed his armored boot, careful not to jar the newly revealed swelling purple ankle.

"Just what I needed" Arthur muttered to himself bitterly. He must have hurt it while running through the forest and now that the adrenaline wore off, the pain was starting up. Arthur glanced around for anything he could use as a crutch. A thick, sturdy branch would work nicely, he thought as he squinted in the almost non-existent daylight, but walking all the way back to Camelot like this will be torture.

"Need any help? Ooh, that doesn't look good" came a familiar voice from behind Arthur. Arthur turned his head to look at the castle thief and found himself strangely relieved that it was Merlin who found him; not relieved that it was someone to help him instead of some bandit, just relieved that it was _Merlin. _Merlin had been examining his bruising ankle with a worried look on his face.

"I'm not sure," Arthur replied good-humoredly "whenever you show up, trouble seems to follow". Arthur let a small smile escape, which seemed to fuel a larger one on Merlin's face.

"You need to get your cause and effect in order, _your highness_" Merlin joked. He crouched next to Arthur and slung Arthur's left arm over his neck. Merlin slowly rose, supporting Arthur with left hand covering Arthur's and his right anchored at Arthur's ribs. Once Arthur was standing, he had Arthur support himself against the tree as Merlin gathered Arthur's boot and crossbow expertly in one hand. Once Merlin was situated with the bow and boot, he returned Arthur to his previous stance, left arm draped over Merlin's shoulders taking the pressure off his injured left foot and leaning on Merlin.

"Did you see the dragon-creature?" Arthur asked Merlin once they started walking in the direction of Camelot, throwing a glance over his shoulder in the direction the creature was. Arthur didn't notice Merlin's muscles tense and eyes widen in surprise and worry.

"D-dragon? You saw a dragon? Are you sure? There aren't any dragons left! Maybe you just knocked yourself in the head, a dragon is a little far-fetched, don't you think?" Merlin replied quickly, nervously. Walking Arthur in the direction of the castle, he attempted to nonchalantly glance up, looking for a winged, white outline against the darkening sky. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or worried at not seeing one. If Arthur had seen Aithusa… well, he and Arthur weren't that good of friends. He obviously hadn't killed what he saw, but that doesn't mean he's not going to. After Kilgarrah, Aithusa was one of the few friends he had left. Merlin doubted that he'd let the last dragon in existence live in peace, and if he found out Merlin was harboring that dragon? Arthur may have saved him from the guards, but he knows how Camelot feels about magic. That's why he doesn't live there; it's just too dangerous for someone like him. Arthur's voice startled him out of his reverie.

"I did _not_ hit my head, and I know what I saw." Arthur injected indignantly "And you don't need to worry, _Merlin, _there are no more dragons left to hurt you after the Great Purge. Though what they'd want with you would be anyone's guess. You'd barely constitute a toothpick." Arthur said mockingly, glancing at Merlin's thin frame. "Honestly, do you even eat?"

"Maybe I'm just trying to be courteous. You know, in case I ever hurt my ankle or something and need someone to lug me across the forest." Merlin grunted under Arthur's weight, for good measure.

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Of course not, _your highness_, I never said anything of the sort." Merlin replied lightly, a smile playing at the ends of his lips.

"_Anyways_, I didn't say I saw a dragon. It just _looked_ like a dragon. It had nine heads, for god's sake. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything rattling around in that head of yours." Arthur smiled.

Merlin let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief at knowing Aithusa was safe and chose to ignore Arthur's last comment. For a few moments, all you could hear was the leaves crunching beneath their uneven footsteps and their heavy breathing. Merlin had his left hand steadying Arthur's arm around his shoulders and his right positioned below Arthur's right ribs, lugging the boot and crossbow and trying to keep pressure off of Arthur's injured ankle. Merlin's shoulders started to feel sore after bearing Arthur's weight, but he ignored it. They would be arriving at the castle soon, and Arthur and he would part ways. Merlin glanced at Arthur's swollen ankle.

"You should really have Gaius take a look at that when you get b-"

"-Do you live out here?" Arthur interrupted.

"What?" Merlin asked, surprised at Arthur's sudden question. Merlin stopped walking and turned to face Arthur, confused. Neither seemed to notice their lack of progression.

"Out here, in the forest. Do you live out here? You certainly don't live in Camelot, and there are no other kingdoms close enough. Do you live in the woods? Are you with a group, just passing by?" Arthur pressed.

Merlin started walking again. It was getting late; he needed to Arthur home, Aithusa may start to worry soon. She's really still just a child, even though she's already more than twice his size.

"If it pleases your highness," Merlin started jokingly "I do live in the forest and I'm certainly not just passing by." Merlin smiled lopsidedly "Not getting rid of me that easily, I'm afraid."

"So you are with a group? And you're what, the group fool?" Arthur ribbed, the corners of his mouth twisting up slightly.

"Group, no." Merlin ignored the last comment "There was one group; they gave me the name Emrys. I thought I'd fit in with them but… it didn't work out that well. Now it's just me and – um – but I like it out here, and Camelot is amazing." Merlin seemed to be talking to himself more than Arthur, but Arthur decided not to press the issue. Merlin snapped out of it when he saw Arthur staring at him strangely and quickly changed the subject.

"Here we are! Home sweet home." Merlin said. Arthur hadn't noticed it until Merlin had pointed it out. Merlin had attempted to point with the hand holding the crossbow and boot, but when he went to place his hand back on Arthur's side, he accidentally rammed the bow into Arthur's right leg, almost making them topple over.

"Idiot" Arthur said, rubbing his newly injured leg with his free hand, the one not nearly choking Merlin as Arthur regained his stance. He was glad that he managed not to put any pressure on his left ankle.

"Prat" Merlin replied reflexively, with a large smile. "Well since I can't enter Camelot without being arrested, thanks to you-"

"-your own fault, and don't act like you won't be returning anyway-"

"-you'll need to leg it from here." Merlin finished. He dropped the boot and crossbow on the ground and bent down to pick up a nice, long branch for Arthur to use as a crutch, keeping Arthur supported as he did so. When he straightened back up again he had a branch in hand. He stuck one end into the ground and put his weight on it, testing its sturdiness. When he had deemed it safe enough, he ducked his neck out of Arthur's hold and replaced it with the make-shift crutch. Merlin grabbed the discarded equipment off the ground and handed it to Arthur.

"Off you go then." Merlin mentioned to the castle. Arthur nodded a goodbye at started off towards his home.

"And, I suppose, thank you for helping me back." Arthur turned to glance back at Merlin, but he had already left. As is starting to become habit, Arthur pressed his hand to where his gold pouch had been. Arthur's hand felt empty space.

He smiled.

* * *

**A/N All right, this is where I get on my knees and apologize for how long it took to update. I'm working on a Young Justice one-shot and I had really lost my muse for this story. But it's back now! I'll try to be better at updates. I hope the slightly longer chapter made up for it a bit. Anyways, I thought Aithusa was a girl, but now I'm starting to doubt that. But, I like her better as a girl, so. REVIEW! It takes 2 seconds and ups my happiness!**


	8. Chapter 8: Advice

**A/N I hope I can update more often when school ends (2 weeks) but I doubt I can get another update within a month. I have vacation and then camp the two weeks after that.**

**So Arthur saw the 9-headed creature and hurt his ankle, Merlin helped him back to the castle and dissappeared. Go!**

* * *

Arthur tried (and failed) to hold in a hiss as Gaius gently prodded at Arthur's injured ankle. He was sitting on a worktable in the middle of Gaius's main room, legs outstretched before him and arms propping him up from behind. Arthur's left pant-leg was rolled up to accommodate Gaius who was standing to Arthur's left, inspecting his swollen bare ankle, occasionally muttering a "stop squirming".

Immediately after stepping onto the castle grounds, a nearby guard had stopped to help the poor, limping boy only to discover that the blonde mess was the one and only Prince Arthur. The guard had been surprised to see him and Arthur discovered that his father was just about to send a small search party into the forest after him. Arthur had ordered the guard to help him to Gaius's chambers and to make sure Uther was informed of his return. At seeing the injured prince, the sleep-haggard physician had completely thrown himself into his job, ushering Arthur onto the table and prodding the purple ankle a little more than Arthur thought necessary.

Gaius repositioned his glasses upon his nose and looked up at Arthur. "Well the good news is your ankle isn't broken. I'm going to give you some ginger and wrap it to decrease swelling and a bit of boswellia will help ease the pain. The bad news is all that _walking,_" Arthur could have sworn Gaius glared at him "you did on it tore the ligaments. You have a fairly major sprain. You'll need to stay off that ankle for a day or two. I'll be there to check on it in the morning." Gaius said as he bustled around, looking for a clean cloth and his herbs. Arthur decided not to press the "bedridden" issue – he was tired and the old physician could be stubborn when it came to his patients. Besides, Arthur had another issue to address.

"You help my father with… unnatural creatures, correct?" Arthur hadn't really meant it as a question, but it just came out that way. Maybe the pain was messing with his head. Gaius's trademark eyebrow rose curiously.

"Does this have anything to do with your newest injury, sire?" Gaius started rubbing a salve of some sort – probably the ginger – on his ankle, causing Arthur to clench his teeth slightly.

"When I was in the woods, I saw this dragon-creature. I believe it to be a threat to Camelot. We need to know what it is and how to kill it." Arthur said seriously. Arthur caught how Gaius's eyes widened at the word "dragon", but brushed it off as fear or surprise. After all, Gaius was Uther's oldest friend, his doctor. Gaius helps Uther fight _against _the evil ofmagic.

"A dragon, sire? Are you absolutely positive?" Gaius asked, nervously fisting the white cloth he had found. Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the similarities between Gaius and Merlin, but he couldn't stop a small smile from escaping. Like Merlin, Gaius must have stopped listening after "dragon". Why would they need information on how to kill a dragon? You do it the same way Uther did during the Great Purge. Curiously enough, Arthur actually didn't know how to kill a dragon. He'd have to ask Uther about that later.

"Similar, but the creature I saw had nine heads." Gaius was now tightly wrapping a cloth around Arthur's ankle. How _that_ was supposed to help him, Arthur didn't know, but he trusted that Gaius knew what he was doing.

"Nine heads" Gaius muttered, a contemplative look crossed his features as he tied the cloth tight. Arthur didn't notice. "Now let me think about this for a moment" Gaius whipped up a quick boswellia potion – non-magical, of course – and handed it to Arthur to drink. Gaius turned away and walked towards a pile of books in the corner, glancing over the titles and running his fingers over the binds. "_The Complete Index of Magical Creatures_, this should do it." Gaius picked the oversized book up and brought it over to table Arthur was still sitting on.

The book hit the table with a "thump", sending up a small cloud of dust. Arthur waved the dust away and leaned forward so he could see the book that was situated to the right of his legs, facing so that Arthur could read it. Gaius stood to Arthur's right opening to the table of contents.

"Here, it should be under 'Dragons and Creatures of Similar Visage'" Gaius flipped to the page indicated on the table of contents. It was about one quarter of the way through the book. "See if you can find the creature you saw. Be careful, though, that book is very fragile."

Arthur turned the pages of the book delicately, as Gaius had requested. The first half-dozen pages were solely reserved for Dragons. Every creature had a detailed drawing done of them in the top right-hand corner, which Arthur was primarily using for his search. Each new entry was hand-written in slightly cramped yet still legible writing that described seemingly everything known about the creature. Despite this fact, some pages were mostly barren. Some creatures must still be a mystery.

"See if any of these match the creature you saw" Gaius said, looking over Arthur's shoulder at the book. Arthur was studying the drawings to find a match for his forest monster, but he couldn't help but marvel at the multitudes of the magical beings. Here, sitting on the pages, the creatures didn't look malicious or generally evil as he was taught. The brief notion of these creatures being more natural – more _right_ – than he previously thought barely grazed his mind when the next page turned revealed a nine-headed beast gazing at him.

The cramped words beneath the picture read:

_Species: Hydra_

_Known relatives: none_

_Hydra are generally found secluded in forests. It is rare to find more than one Hydra together because of their territorial nature and the fact that they tend not to care for their single offspring. Hydra normally have nine heads with the middle able to produce fire, yet there have been sightings of Hydra with more than nine heads. Hydra will attack only when provoked. Little is known about the life of these creatures because of their seclusion and rarity. Less than fifty of these creatures have been documented to date._

Arthur reread the information, searching for a weakness. He realized that the book would be of little help to him. Arthur started to close the book when he remembered the mass of creatures he had flipped by when trying to find the Hydra. The prince turned to look at his doctor.

"May I borrow this book?" Arthur asked. Of course, he may need this information later. He's just being prepared, informed, like a king should be.

"Of course, sire." Gaius replied, motioning with his hand that the book was Arthur's. Gaius walked towards the back corner of his workshop to return with a carved wooden walking-stick for Arthur. "If that is all..?" Gaius said while handing the walking stick to Arthur. Arthur nodded and tried to stand up off the table without putting any weight on his left foot, bracing himself against the table. Arthur seized the walking-stick from Gaius with his left hand while grasping the heavy book from the table in his right.

He took a test step forward, feeling awkward using the stick. Gaius's walking-stick was easier to use than the branch Arthur had previously, but it also made him feel like a bumbling old man or a clumsy newborn foal. Arthur's left foot hovered above the floor and he readjusted the heavy weight in his right arm. Arthur thanked the physician for his help and hobbled out the door, cradling _The Complete Index of Magical Creatures _under his arm_._

* * *

**A/N I apologize for the lack of Merlin, (and that I'm back to the shorter chapters) but I needed Gaius here. The "no known relatives" part of the Hydra info is my way of saying Dragonlords can't control them. I've been watching superhero shows (Smallville, Arrow, Young Justice) so my knowledge of Merlin is wanning but I promise to rewatch some episodes before the next chapter (any suggestions?). Alright, see ya and happy Summer!**


	9. Chapter 9: Here There Be Dragons

The morning after Gaius's treatment of his ankle found Arthur standing in front of the door to his father's chambers. He loudly but politely knocked on the large wooden door, awaiting his father's call for him to enter. The injured prince was leaning heavily on his new smooth-handled walking stick in his left hand while clutching Gaius's magical creature's book in his right.

Arthur glanced up and down the hallway. The walk up to the king's chambers had been embarrassing; at least no one had been awake the night before to see him awkwardly stumbling down the hall with a walking stick. The halls never seemed as busy as they were that morning. Thankfully, his father called Arthur to enter and he walked in with as much dignity as he could muster up at the moment.

The king's room was slightly larger, slightly more extravagant than Arthur's but it looked generally the same. Both shared the four-poster bed and the Pendragon-red color scheme. Another shared aspect of the rooms was the large window that allowed you to look over the kingdom. The ruler of this kingdom was sitting in front of said window, enjoying a rare moment of peace in the busy life that Arthur would later inherit. Uther stood at seeing his only son walk through his door.

"Arthur" The king started "I was informed that your hunt didn't exactly go as planned. I went to visit Gaius this morning and he told me of your sprained ankle. He also told me that you had seen something in the forest? Come, sit with me." Arthur walked over to the small table the king was motioning to and sat with his father. He explained the events of the night before, choosing to exclude the detail of meeting the dungeon escapee. Arthur showed his father the Hydra page in _The Complete Index of Magical Creatures, _politelyignoring his father's scowl at the mention of magic. It wasn't that Arthur didn't believe his father of the evilness that magic could cause, but it was hard to despise something you had never even experienced, not like Uther did. "Anything possessing magic, beast or human, needs to be eliminated before it kills us." Uther spat.

Uther seemed to come to the same conclusion as Arthur. He would send a party of knights to find and eliminate the beast at first light. If it was active at nighttime, maybe they could catch it at a weak time.

"I would like to lead that party, father. My ankle will be healed by then and I am the only one who has seen the creature in person." Arthur stated. Uther paused for a second, thinking over Arthur's proposal.

"Very well. _If _you are healed by tomorrow, you may lead the knights." Uther replied. Arthur thanked his father and left, taking Gaius's book with him. If he was to rest all day, he could at least learn something about these creatures.

* * *

Arthur skimmed the table of contents, wondering where to start reading the oversized book. He sat upright on his feathered mattress with his left leg propped up on a stack of pillows and the heavy book resting on his lap.

Gaius had re-examined his ankle earlier that morning and stated that if he continued resting, he may be walking again by midday tomorrow. Arthur ignored the fact that he was supposed to be leading a party of knights _that morning_… he could rest on his horse.

Logically, he should start at the beginning of the book and work his way though, but as he glanced down the chapter titles, the one titled "Dragons and Creatures of Similar Visage" caught his eye once again. Besides, he wouldn't be able to focus on the first chapter, "The Troll Family", when he could be reading about the ferocity of the legendary dragons. Arthur flipped though the aging book until he saw the dragon page.

The picture in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the section on dragons drew his eye away from the text. The dragon in the drawing wasn't exactly extraordinary, it was just sitting down with its wings partly outstretched, but the drawing itself was beautifully done. There was so much carefully put detail placed into the small dragon that it looked as if it would be able to climb right off the page – cliché as that sounds.

Even the dragon's eyes seemed to glow a familiar eternal gold that Arthur could not place where he had seen it before. Arthur shook off the strange feeling that came with the drawing and started reading.

* * *

_It is hard to differentiate fact from fiction when writing of dragons; the creatures themselves are so entwined with the legends that they seem to cease being legends. Many stories surround dragons, the most prominent being the return of Albion. _

_Dragons are colossal creatures. It is said that long ago, dragons measured a wingspan of over 300 feet. As time progressed, dragons grew smaller and began to sort into different species. An example of this is the wyvern, a dragon with only a single pair of legs. Information on the wyvern can be found later in this chapter._

_Each individual dragon varies on multiple points, but all dragons share the ability to breathe fire. As a result of this, dragons are largely immune to fire. All dragons have magic coursing through their veins, although the amount of controllable magic varies from dragon to dragon. The life span of a dragon is unknown and may not exist. It is unknown that time can weary these creatures, although it is widely believed that once a dragon's purpose has been accomplished it will seek solace in death._

_One of the rarest types of dragon is a white dragon. White dragons are symbols of hope among people and are said to foreshadow great things. It is said that only the greatest of dragon-lords will hatch white dragons and that it is a white dragon that will help bring about the return of Albion._

_Dragons have a very high level of intelligence. They seem to have their own language which can only be understood by dragons and dragon-lords. The lives of dragons and their dragon-lords are closely entwined. Dragon-lords are said to be kin to the dragons and have the ability to command the dragons to their will, but no dragon-lord has taken advantage of that rite to date. A dragon-lord can converse and interact with many dragons, yet they share a lifelong bond only with dragons that they have hatched._

_Each dragon egg varies in colors and size, not unlike dragons themselves. To hatch a dragon, it is only needed that a dragon-lord gives it a name. A dragon-lord can hatch multiple dragons, yet each dragon is attached to its dragon-lord uniquely. Some dragons spend their lives with their lords while others separate shortly after  
hatching, yet the bond is never broken. It is said that a dragon-lord can hear its dragon's cry from distances unimaginable and vice versa. A dragon-lord would sacrifice his life for his dragon, as his dragon would do the same for him. Further information on dragon-lords can be found under the chapter titled "Magical Races of Humans"._

Arthur turned to that chapter.

* * *

**A/N: Do you like my book excerpts? I'm not sure if I like them and if you guys don't then I won't write the dragon-lord one. Speaking of book excerpts, I got my dragon info from a mix of Merlin, A Game of Thrones, and my own imagination. I have no idea how I'm going to start the next chapter, maybe with some Merlin. You all are Merlin deprived, I know, it's been two chapters. I'll fix that, I promise. So... comments? things you liked? things you disliked? maybe something you would like to see? I could probably fit it in, unless it completely clashes with what I want to do. Thanks to all my reviewers so far!**


	10. Chapter 10: Dragons and Dragon-lords

**CH 10**

Witches, Warlocks, Druids, Sorcerers…

Arthur was flipping through the sections of The Complete Index of Magical Creatures to find the "race" mentioned in the Dragon section.

_Dragon-lords_

The Dragon-lord section was shorter than the dragon section – only three pages long – but that was probably only because a Dragon-lord was a type of human, so there was no reason to waste pages detailing their diet or anything else you would already know.

The picture that donned this page was of an ominous-looking man standing in front of a dragon. Actually, the only thing that would set him apart from any other man was that his eyes glowed the same golden hue of the dragon behind him, but that was enough to give him the air of power. Actually, many of the pictures shared the golden eyes.

'Must be a magic thing' Arthur thought. His eyes scanned the writing on the page curiously.

_Dragons and Dragon-lords have roamed together since before history can tell. Dragon-lords are said to be kin of the dragons. This race is able to speak the tongue of the dragon, even command the dragon to do the will of the Dragon-lord, although this power is rarely used. A Dragon-lord is also required to hatch a dragon egg; this is done by giving the newborn a name. A hatched dragon is forever attached to the Dragon-lord who hatched it, and because of the longevity of dragons, the Dragon-lord's future heirs. _

_The power of the Dragon-lord is inherited from father to the first born living son in death. The power of the Dragon-lord lies dormant in the sons of Dragon-lords until it is needed, at the death of the original Dragon-lord. If a Dragon-lord dies without an heir to his power, the power will die with him._

_As a consequence of this, the number of Dragon-lords will continue to deplete over the years and eventually die out, taking the dragons with them. A Dragon-lord is needed to hatch a dragon egg and so in the absence of a Dragon-lord, no dragon can come to life. There is, however, a sort of loophole in the inheritance of the Dragon-lord: a Dragon-lord can, instead of having his power passed into his sons, promise his power to another through a blood oath. This other will serve as the heir and so will his descendants._

_Many legends offer another fail-safe for the Dragon-lords. A Dragon-lord shares the same lifespan and vulnerabilities as a human, yet it is said that the last Dragon-lord will be immortal. This figure will share his everlasting life with his heir who will be able to keep the power of the Dragon-lord, even as his father lives._

A knock on the door startled the prince out of his reading, sending a twinge though his injured ankle. It was George, probably, with lunch, hopefully.

"Come in"

* * *

**Time Jump to the next morning**

Merlin leaned back against the soft, scaly creature behind him on the cold cave floor, trying to take in some heat from the dragon as she slept. The warlock's eyes fluttered open slowly, unwilling to admit it was indeed morning and his stomach did need filling. Merlin groaned, trying to stretch as best as he could from his position sitting on the floor with his back against his sleeping dragon's belly. His muscles popped, momentarily soothing him, but the discomfort of the ground and his hunger stopped the comforting feeling abruptly. Merlin sent a small glare to the gently snoozing dragon.

"Why do I have to get up when you can sleep in?" Merlin grumbled at the dragon. The dragon let out a soft, almost purring sound that sounded undeniably smug to the still-waking sorcerer.

Merlin leaned forward and climbed to his feet, shaking out the soreness formed in his muscles overnight. He glanced back at Aithusa and then to the mouth of the cave.

Merlin and Aithusa had only been living in that cave for a few months. Merlin had lived with his mother, Hunith, in their village called Ealdor up until little more than a year ago. Merlin's mother had decided it was time to tell him about his Dragon-lord parentage and how his father had escaped the king's death sentence during The Great Purge. After learning of his father, Balinor, Merlin set out to find him. Balinor had explained about what it meant to be a Dragon-lord, the only Dragon-lord left, and he had told Merlin about the dragon locked away in the inner depths of Camelot's castle. Merlin had convinced his father to return to Ealdor, but on their way home they were attacked by a group of bandits.

Balinor died.

Merlin became the last Dragon-lord.

When Merlin arrived home, he was determined to set the dragon in the castle free. His mother had tried to dissuade him, explaining that it was far too dangerous for someone like him, someone with magic, to be so close to the center of Camelot. They had eventually agreed that Merlin would stay outside the castle walls in a nearby village, or even in the woods. Hunith had also told him of Gaius and how he could be trusted with the knowledge of Merlin's magic. Merlin had then set off for Camelot.

Merlin had managed to find the dragon, Kilgarrah, without much trouble and after making him swear not to hurt the people of Camelot, Merlin released him. The new Dragon-lord hadn't planned on returning home after freeing Kilgarrah, his mother had understood that. He had spent a few months living among the druids, but the allure of Camelot had pulled him back before long.

He would return to the castle every day, keeping himself entertained by swiping coins and other valuables from people who had money to spare. Merlin would keep enough of his plunder to buy food but what he didn't need, he would give away to whomever he happened across who needed it. Merlin had actually acquired quite the reputation among the lower class of Camelot – people would smile at him as he passed, some vendors would give him extra food, if they had enough to spare. Merlin knew that although many knew him, he would rarely be spoken of and even then, in whispers and never to the upper classes.

Merlin had kept his promise and stayed in the woods just outside Camelot. Every so often, Kilgarrah would return to spend a few days with Merlin and then leave on his own again. Kilgarrah's Dragon-lord had been killed in The Great Purge along with every other dragon. One day, Kilgarrah returned with news of something with value beyond bounds. There was thought to be a dragon egg hidden in The Tomb of Ashkanar. Merlin had searched the tomb and found the soft white egg, returning with it to Kilgarrah. The Great Dragon had explained what he had to do, and Merlin hatched the dragon with the name Aithusa.

Kilgarrah had stayed with Merlin and the new dragon for Aithusa's first few days, but when the old dragon voiced his need to leave, Merlin understood that it would be the last time he would see his old friend.

Merlin strode out of the cave and toward the castle, making sure to take extra care in avoiding where he knew the hydra lurked, little good it would do. The hydra wouldn't bother you if you don't bother it, and Merlin really would rather not be "bothered" by the massive creature with sharp teeth in spades. Merlin bit into an apple he had snuck from the castle kitchens the day before and had carried back to his makeshift home. Breakfast.

It was just barely daybreak, but that wasn't uncommon. Merlin rose before the sun very often, even if he didn't want to. Most days, he would arrive at the castle about the same time its people would start milling about the streets. He had been walking around Camelot, including inside the castle, for months now and still no one ever seems to remember him, not the castle inhabitants anyway. Merlin let out a chuckle, excluding his majesty, the prince, of course. Merlin wondered if he would run into Arthur again at the castle today.


	11. Chapter 11: And Into The Fire

**A/N: I deleted the last sentence of the last chapter 'cause it doesn't fit anymore. A few low-grade curses this chapter, sorry. I've changed the rating to T for this chapter.**

**I also disclaim all the magical and non-magical beings of Camelot**

Gaius had relented and given Arthur the approval necessary to lead the knights in search of the hydra. Arthur's ankle was mostly healed by morning anyway, but that didn't stop the old physician from grumbling about "impatient boys never heeding warnings". His ankle still hurt when he puts pressure on it, but the pain was minimal and there was no way Arthur was letting anyone else lead this hunt.

It took longer than originally planned to assemble the knights for the hunt due to complications with the preparation of the horses and a tavern celebration the night before. The latter left both Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine unable to join Arthur's search crew and forced him to find two substitutes at the last minute. Needless to say, their departure time exceeded their original plan of "at first light".

Arthur sighed at the relief of being able to finally rest his sore ankle in the stirrup of his saddle. He and seven knights were all exiting the castle gates on their horses with Arthur leading the way to where he best remembered the hydra to be. The sounds of the bustling people of Camelot grew fainter as the search party rode farther into the forest.

It should take not much more than half an hour to find the creature, or at least the burnt up area of forest Arthur found. The fact that such a monster dwelled so close to his people without anyone knowing of its presence scared Arthur more than he was willing to admit. He had walked into the hydra's grounds while hunting; he was barely two miles from the castle. How many other people had crossed paths with this beast and weren't lucky enough to return home? This was why the prince was on this hunt, to make sure none of his people ever encounter such a deadly creature.

* * *

**Merlin POV**

Camelot. Home of the House Pendragon, King Uther and his son Prince Arthur. Uther was a smart man, fair in situations non-pertaining to magic and quite possibly one of the best kings Camelot has found thus far. Once married to Ygraine Pendragon, the late Queen of Camelot, who died birthing her son Arthur. Many say the loss of his wife threw the King into a temporary madness, ordering the immediate execution of all holding magic, purging his kingdom of magic.

Few escaped the slaughter. Some, like Gaius, the court physician and Uther's trusted advisor, were spared if they promised to never use magic again. Few sorcerers escaped Uther's wrath and only with help; Merlin's father had help from Gaius but even then he had to spend a great deal of his adult life in hiding. One magical creature, Kilgarrah, was kept prisoner until he mysteriously escape almost fifteen years later.

Many of Camelot's inhabitants remember The Purge. Many of them remember watching the multiple executions every day in the square, less and less each day until people finally assumed it over.

Merlin was just a baby when it happened, and ever since he spent his life hiding. Even now, he hides from those who could hurt him; he hides in plain sight. Being thrown into the dungeons… that had scared him more than he was willing to admit. But he was free now, and still no one knew his secret.

Something was different in Camelot this morning. It was busier, more servants running around. There must be something happening later on.

Merlin walked up to the baker he often visits for breakfast and handed him a coin from Arthur's coin pouch. The baker gave him a smile and turned to put together Merlin's silent request.

"Do you know what's going on today, why everyone's running around?" One of the reasons Merlin prefers this baker is that he's always informed of the latest gossip and has no qualm with sharing his info with whomever he happens across.

"Didn't you hear?" the baker said, handing Merlin a half loaf of freshly baked bread "The prince found a monster in the forest. Him and some knights are gonna go kill it." He really shouldn't be surprised at the news, of course Arthur would go after the hydra. He thanked the baker, tossed him another coin and ran back out through the castle gates into the woods where he knows he'll soon see Arthur heading out after the hydra.

He took a bite of his breakfast as he found a good hiding spot to wait. No way is the future king of Ablion going to get himself killed on a stupid hunt.

* * *

**Arthur POV**

The only sounds that could be heard were the leaves and branches crunching under their horses' hooves. Arthur was leading his troop straight through the woods and so as to avoid having their horses trip over roots and vines, they had to keep to a fast walk. That and their original trot sent painful jolts up Arthur's still-healing ankle.

Arthur's group was outfitted in full armor, including a shield and sword sheathed at the horses' sides. Arthur did not know how to kill the hydra, his arrow didn't even pierce its skin, but anything can be killed. You just need to know how. Arthur pondered what the creature's weaknesses could be compared with what he knew of the weakness of other magical creatures.

He had heard a villager say once that some magical creatures could only be killed by magic. She had said "What happens when we come across one of those? There isn't a single magic creature left that would help us then, what with The Purge and all". She had been quickly shushed by the boy she was talking to when he recognized the prince. She had a valid point, but Arthur had no way of knowing if what she claimed was true. The creature impervious to anything non-magical could be a bedtime story, for all Arthur knew. He hoped it was.

Arthur's large crowd sent animals scattering away far before Arthur could spot them. Every once in a while you could hear the twigs snapping and leaves crunching under the foot of a semi-distant animal that thought the pack of horses to be a threat. It isn't uncommon to hear sounds of movement throughout a forest. Despite this, Arthur kept looking over his shoulder into the woods. Something was there, he knew it. Every so often there would be the soft sound of something moving though the forest. What stood out to him was that the noises, always sounding from Arthur's left, were_ following _them. Realizing that all his looking around may have alerted the knights following him, he forced himself to keep his head facing forward. It was probably nothing, and he didn't want anyone to get nervous.

Arthur kept busy trying to calculate how much farther they would have to go, ignoring all the soft crunches and other sounds coming from his left, every little sound he must've missed before now reaching his ears. He was debating whether or not to investigate the noises and alert the knights when a particularly loud snap caused him to turn his head and stare into the trees directly to his left.

He almost laughed aloud when he saw a flash of shaggy black hair and pale skin dart back behind a tree. Merlin. What the hell did he think he was doing? An almost cautious "Your Highness?" caused the prince to shift his face out of the smile that had crept up on him unknowingly and turn to face he knight behind him.

"Is everything alright?" the knight asked again, worry lacing his words.

"Of course. We'll be at location I saw the beast soon" The knight didn't look entirely satisfied with his answer, but Arthur turned forward again anyways. They'd get there soon enough and hopefully Merlin would realize the danger of the situation and run off. He's good at that, getting away unseen.

It wasn't fifteen minutes later that they started to see the effects of the hydra's fire spewing. Arthur slowed the horses to a halt and quietly unmounted his horse. He motioned for the other knights to get off their horses quietly and he drew his sword and shield. If the hydra is still here, Arthur did not want to spook it. Once everyone had their feet on the ground and sword and shield in hand, the prince lead the group into the burnt area of the forest. The smell of burning fought to overpower the group as they were lead deeper and deeper into the overcooked wasteland, still brimming with charred trees. The prince's group made sure to step over the blackened branches littering the ground as their eyes scanned the scenery for anything fitting the description of "monster".

They didn't see the hydra immediately, but what they did see was a tremendous mass of scorched trees ripped from the ground they grew from and piled together to make what could be called a large shelter. Arthur led his seven knights over to the shelter, swords raised and ready for a fight. Adrenaline rushed though their systems like a dam had broken. Anticipation and panic battled for control of their bodies and they had to consciously stop themselves from running forward or backwards

One of the newer knights' eyes kept flickering back the way they came, back to safety. It was this same young knight who, while gazing at the safe-haven of the unburnt trees, accidentally stepped on a branch that the others had took care to avoid. It was not the crunch of the brittle branch that woke the hydra – no matter how loud it sounded in the shuffling silence of the dead portion of the forest. No, it was the resulting shout that came from the green knight. They should have never chosen such an inexperienced knight to go on such a dangerous mission as this. Damn that tavern party.

What happened afterwards happened too rapidly to be accurately retold. The creature suddenly emerged from its sanctuary of fell trees. Everyone subconsciously took a step back as they took in the monstrosity before them, most of them for the first time. Arthur recovered before anyone else, quickly ordering four of the guards to distract the creature while two attempted an attack on its left (quite literally) out of the line of fire. Arthur himself lead the last knight to an attack on the hydra's right, yelling at the four guards to beware of the hydra's fire.

Arthur discovered too late that a distraction wouldn't work on a creature with nine heads. He was betting on the hope that all nine heads shared a single consciousness, but no. Just as Arthur divided his forces, the hydra divided his. Three heads turned to each group. The middle head with the fire breath focused on the largest and farthest group, the attempt at a distraction.

The prince knew at that point that his initial plan was futile. Arthur slashed at the monster's body, a vain attempt to bring attention to himself and away from the other knights. He called to the only knight who would hear him – the one fighting beside him – and told him to run. Get as many knights as he could and retreat back to the castle, tell the king what was happening.

Arthur dug his blade deep into the shoulder of the beast (it appeared that only its armored stomach was impenetrable) to by time for the other knight to escape. It worked, but it put the attention of all three heads on him. He retrieved the sword from the monster's hide just in time to dodge the first set of snapping fangs. He leaped away from the second, but when the third came he had a plan. He ran forward, under the danger zone of its teeth and into a perfect position to slice off the creature's head.

Either all the other knights had fled (or died, Arthur refused to think) or the loss of a head was great enough for the creature's full attention. Arthur sprinted out of range of the monster's many sets of teeth to see all nine- _eight_ of the hydra's heads glaring at him. The severed head (still with quite a bit of neck attached) was oozing black blood, the same as the stump of a neck that was currently thrashing about. The monster shrieked loud and high at the pain it must be feeling.

Then, from the black, bloody stump of what used to be the creature's ninth head grew two more long necks which bore _two more _heads. Arthur just stood and stared at what he thought to be his greatest attack on the monster turned into another advantage. He had made the creature more deadly than ever.

That fact was so startling to Arthur that he didn't realize what it meant to have _all_ heads focused on him, not until the middle head opened its mouth and expelled its fire right at the spot Arthur was standing.

To be totally truthful, Arthur had completely forgotten about Merlin once he saw the hydra's hideout. He never spared Merlin a single thought until he was tackled to the ground, right next to the burst of flame.

Lying flat on his back, Arthur opened his eyes to see Merlin's face pressed into his chest and hidden from his view by an ebony mop of hair. That wasn't what caught Arthur's attention, though. The fire next to them had burnt out, finding no fuel among the already burnt branches and dirt floor. There was, however, a small fire burning its way on Merlin's back. Merlin must have been caught in the flames when trying to save Arthur. He sat up halfway and hastily attempted to pat out the flames working their way over Merlin's shoulder blades and wincing at Merlin's cries muffled by his chest and fingers clenched in pain on his shoulders. Arthur wondered if Merlin had passed out from the pain when the screaming stopped as Arthur quelled the last of the flames, leaving a badly scorched back.

Arthur returned his focus to the hydra still looming in the distance. He saw the middle head preparing to shoot more flames at them and so he did the only thing he could do. Arthur laid Merlin on his back and used his own body to shield Merlin from the coming attack. Arthur used his actual shield to protect both their heads and upper bodies, but he knew that would do little. That shield was made for blocking sword blows, for it was far too small to fully protect them from the flames.

Arthur squeezed his eyes shut and tried to prepare himself for the searing pain that was sure to come. He clenched his teeth and waited… but the attack didn't come. When Arthur opened his eyes, he could only see Merlin's face. His eyes were wide open and glowing gold. Arthur looked behind him and saw Merlin's arm lifted up, hand outstretched and palm facing the center of a downpour of fire around them. The fire seemed to split around them as if driven to do so by an invisible force.

Right when Arthur started to understand what was happening, the fire stopped and Merlin's arm fell limp. Arthur turned back just in time to see Merlin's eyes return to their original baby blue as they rolled back in his head. All the strength Merlin had before possessed now seeped out into empty air as the boy fell unconsciousness.

Arthur dropped his shield to grab Merlin, one arm under his armpits and the other grasped around his thighs, and dart away from the hydra and into the sanctuary of the woods.

* * *

**A/N: *whimsycatcher on DeviantArt was awesome enough to let me use her picture titled "...I couldn't bear to lose you" for my story. It was actually her picture that made me form this chapter the way I did. If you want to see more of her pictures, go to whimsycatcher. deviantart (take out the spaces)**

**Thanks for reading (and again to Shadowdragon1317 for beta-ing), tell me what you like about the chapter (or what you dislike)!**


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